Can anyone help me?? I know nothing about silkys!!

I have the chance to pick up a few silkies when I go drop rabbits off to a guy who is taking them off my hands. I really love silkies but know nothing about them. He says that they are full grown but young and that he has no clue how to tell them appart. I was thinking that I want a m/f pair or a trio. Are there any tips anyone can give me on how to sex a silky? I know its gonna be hard due to my lack of experience but there must be a few things that I can go by right? They are $10 each, am I getting a deal or is that about average?

The colors he has are black, blue and splash. What colors should I get?

Look for birds whose appearance is balanced between body, tail and head (including crest). 5 toes on each foot; black/slate skin black to mulberry coloured comb that is walnut shaped. Heavily feathered toes. Wings held high, not droopy. Black eyes. http://browneggblueegg.com/Article/SilkieGender.html has a fairly good article on telling the differences between gender. Alan also has lots of good articles on all subjects, and lots of stunning photos of silkies.

As to which colours you should purchase? The one that sings to your heart.

Any of those three colours can be bred together. Don't select birds with gold or silver leaking through their black, blue or splash, though.